Thunderbird Community Forum

Hi, I'm having issues moving a 10 year old Thunderbird installation on a Windows 10 Pro computer to a new Windows 11 Pro PC.

I looked at all the guides & prior support messages and followed the instructions carefully. My old Windows 10 installation was in a custom directory (G:/Program Data/Thunderbird). I ensured it was updated to the most current version and closed it before moving files. I installed Thunderbird on the Windows 11 machine, went to Troubleshooting Info and found the folder that it used for the profile (when I go to profile editor, there are 2 profiles listed in the new build - I verified that I was in the directory for the default profile). I then closed Thunderbird on the new PC.

The two computers are on the same network so I moved all the files from the old location to the new location via just drag and drop. Of note, I couldn't "go up 3 levels" on the original machine's directory as per the instructions because, well, there weren't 3 higher levels of directories - I just moved the Thunderbird to Thunderbird on the new PC.

When I open Thunderbird on the new PC, it still acts like it's a new installation, except I do have my Address book. I tried deleting the second profile it had created; no different. I tried creating a new profile and specifying a directory somewhere else (eg. C:\Program Data\Thunderbird) and moving the files there - no different. I tried copying (presumably inactive) Thunderbird folders from the old computer C:\Users\~\Roaming and \Local over to a similar location on the new PC - nothing changed.

Anybody have any other ideas of what I'm doing wrong? Thank you!

I have 3 computers and I want to make sure Thunderbird is synchronized on all 3. Yes, I have checked your forums for help. Here’s my configuration:

Main PC – used daily. Thunderbird has 4 email accounts. One is IMAP, the others are POP. Backup PC – Used only occasionally. files on this computer are synchronized with the Main PC about once per month. The email accounts are the same as the main computer. Laptop – Used only occasionally. files on this computer are synchronized with the Main PC about once per month. The email accounts are the same as the main computer.

I have read articles on how to move profiles, but I have not come across one that does what I want to do. Also, I am confused about whether filters can be duplicated on more than one computer. I have seen suggestions to just use IMAP (which might work for some, but not all, accounts), but that doesn’t address how to copy filters and keep them synchronized.

Here’s what I would like to do.

Step 1: Back up Main PC Step 2: Copy Thunderbird emails and filters from that backup to the Backup PC Step 3: Copy Thunderbird emails and filters from that backup to the Laptop.

When all steps are completed, I would expect that if I open Thunderbird on either the Backup PC or the Laptop that all messages, folders, and filers would be exactly like those on the Main PC.

Is this possible? If so, what must I do to ensure everything works as I would like?

Thanks, Alan

My thanks again to sfhowes, Rick and others for assisting me to get back my ability to once again send e-mails from Thunderbird. Now for the next step.

Just days ago, I migrated my years of Thunderbird e-mails on a POP protocol to IMAP. Before doing so and before also uninstalling my old Thunderbird because of e-mail sending problems and then reinstalling a new version, I saved a profile. Now with the most current version of Thunderbird, I lost (i)a decades worth of saved inbox e-mails (but for the last 2 years), (ii)I lost all of my sent e-mails but a few odd ones, (iii)I lost my archived e-mails in Local Folders and (iv) I lost all of my contacts and saved group e-mail address lists.

My profile is saved on an external hard drive. Obviously the new installed version of Thunderbird must have somehow found the last 2 years of my inbox e-mails but nothing beyond that as mentioned above. Can you share please a recommended procedure where I can better import what I assume I saved correct on the profile I saved twice (I saved a master folder named Profile and separately saved 4 folders - 2 folders ending in default and 2 ending in default-release. Thank you.

Any user views on Betterbird over TB. The developer has done a great job and has one thing I do like and that is the ability to colour the highlighted email account rather than just the envelope icon. Experiences are appreciated so I can make the informed decision on which to use. Should I decide to use it how does one just port TB and its settings over to Betterbird.?

Thanks for views.

I am trying to upgrade from 128 esr version to the new 139 version. I tried several ways to transfer data from the old version to the new version - I tried to export and import a the Thunderbird zip file. I also tried to open profile manager and creating a new profile that refers to a copy from my old version. Nothing has worked. In the old Thunderbird 128 version, if I select Help and Troubleshooting Information and then Open Folder next to the Profile Folder I get an error in Thunderbird that it can’t find my profile. I get the same error message when I go to Tools, export and select "open profile folder." This in spite of the fact that the old version continues to correctly display my contacts, tasks and events

After several hours of this, I finally decided to download version 139 using the standard Mozilla set up even though my Thunderbird 128 version is located someplace else. So, at this time I have two working versions of thunderbird on my computer – the old 128 version with all my data and the new 139 version with no data.

I think I need help figuring out which Profile has my contact, calendar and task data. Then I need help getting it to the new version.

Thanks

Luke

Hi, Just got computer back from shop where - rather than upgrade - they did a clean install of Win11. I was under the impression from them they'd backup everything on a new "backup" drive they installed to double my capacity as part of the upgrade process.

They're version of backing up Thunderbird left me with a folder "Thunderbird_profile_backup.zip" that is 9,698,657kb in size.

I am attempting to install Thunderbird on the essentially new computer and restore all data from the previous installation.

Is this even possible anymore at this point?

I have data in that file that is important not only financially but archived family info from now deceased members... I'd really like to recover it.

In short help! lol.

Mark

I have a new PC and want to copy my existing filters on to my new PC. I have 116 filters set up and do not want to have to manually add them. I tried exporting my profile from my old PC but it is 38Gb

Trying to export my Thunderbird ver 128.9 to my mobile; I foolow the instructions and get to the page that says "Scan the QR code". But there is no QR code to scan! If I select the "Export" button, I get a request for a PIN code. I know nothing about a PIN code so I follow the "Forgot my PIN code" which tells me I should go to "Settings/Accounts/Sign in Options" There is no "Accounts" selection under the Settings menu.

I was forced to erase my PC because it was infected with malware. I saved my Tbird profile to my HDD before erasing. I pasted the saved profile to %Appdata% >Thunderbird, copying 1,777 items. When I brought up Tbird, I got the Account Setup window, so I don't think the profile was actually there. What did I do wrong?

I just migrated my Thunderbird from my old MacBook to my new Mac Mini. I tried following the official instructions and the instructions in the linked thread, but I experienced the same problem the other users did— that Thunderbird, on the new Mac, would act as if it was setting up a new account, even after replacing the entire Thunderbird folder in the user's Library folder. With some investigation, I was able to detect how to fix the migration, though I can't tell you why Thunderbird behaves this way.

Here are the instructions I followed: [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/que.../1397228]

The process of copying the old Thunderbird is correctly described. However, there is still some funny business on the receiving end.

What I determined was that Thunderbird, for whatever reason, wasn't reading the information in the profiles.ini and installs.ini in a way that launched the migrated installation. Instead, it still created a new installation and a new profile and overlaid those on top of the information in the migrated files, making the newly created profile the default and ignoring the migrated profile when launching.

In order to correct this, I needed to manually edit the profiles.ini and installs.ini file (in a simple text editor) to use the NEW installation but substituting in my MIGRATED profile for the newly created one.

I'm sorry I didn't take screen shots before deleting the files, but the important thing is to edit both files so the both are using the NEWLY CREATED installation ID but that both files only reference the OLD profile ID (deleting all other mentions of the newly created profile and deleting mentions of the old installation ID. This is just a copy/paste operation.

I've attached screenshots of mockups of what my new profiles.ini and installs.ini look like. The important thing is that both have the NEWLY CREATED installation ID (not the one copied from the old Mac) with the OLD profile ID.

Hi, I use TB 115.18.0 (32-bit) on win 7 machine. In order to transfer it to another computer I tried to copy the profile to a new disk and it failed. An error message stated that "The destination you have specified does not exist". I manually copied the profile folder, and found that the problem occurs when attempting to copy the file (no file type is given. File name is printed bolt) as follows: mozilla profiles>cc739xtg.default>mail>local folders>unsent messages. (1,835,282 KB file) Unsent messages.MSF (6KB file) was copied with no problem. I did not find a way to open unsent messages file to read its content. Unsent messages does not show in my TB folders. As far as I understand there are no unsent messages in my TB accounts. 1. How to overcome the unsent messages file copy problem? 2. Can I try to delete both unsent messages and unsent messages.msf files without damage the profile? 3. How can I open unsent messages file to read its content? Thank you for your assistance. David

I am trying to setup Thunderbird on a new Windows 11 PC. My current PC is running Windows 10. I am thoroughly frustrated to the point where I might just switch to Outlook!

First some basic parameters.

On a "techie" skill level I am about a 3 on a scale of 10. I have been a Thurderbird user for a long time, 15+ years. The Thunderbird version on the Windows 10 PC is 140.3.1esr(32-bit) The Thurderbird version on the Windows 11 PC is 143.0.0(64-bit) I managed to stumble through a Thunderbird migration change 6 years ago when I purchased my current Windows 10 PC.

Here are the issues I am having.

1. I do not know how to locate and transfer to the new PC all of my contacts. 2. I do not know how to locate and transfer the sent mail history. 3. The Windows 11 PC version is not synchronizing with the mail server (Comcast.net). When I read, delete, or move an email it is still showing as unread on my other devices. (The Windows 10 PC, iPad, iPhone) Conversely, if I read an email on one of the other devices, it still shows as unread on the Window 11 PC. 4. The is no Junk mail showing in the Junk folder on the Windows 11 PC, but junk mail will show in the Junk folder on the Windows 10 PC. I clean the Junk folder regularly. However, the junk mail is being filter out on the Windows 11 PC because it is not showing in the Inbox. 5. (Somewhat minor) On the Windows 11 machine the preview panel is on the right. On the Windows 10 machine the preview panel on the bottom. I prefer the bottom. I don't see in settings were to change this.

What I have done so far: 1. I compared setting for setting from the old PC to the new PC. I noticed in the new Windows 11 version there is no settings called "Message Synchronizing". 2. I was able to locate the file that contained all of my local files. I copied it to the new PC and directed Thurderbird to use this file. Works fine. 3. I have read the Help instructions for "How do I find my profile", "Moving a profile", Backing up a profile", Restoring a profile backup", Method using a transfer device", and "An alternative method for manual transfer between Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers".

As state above, my skill level is about a 3. When I start dealing with hidden files I am getting beyond my skill level.

My questions are: 1. Since Thunderbird seems to be setup and running, although not how I like, is it necessary to do the transfers described in the Help articles. Would I be over writing the manual setup I have completed when I compared the setup pages from the old and new PCs? 2. Can the files name for where the contacts are store be provided so I can manually copy over? I would think this would not be a hidden file. 3. How do I get the Windows 11 version to synchronize with the Comcast mail server? If the synchronizing occurs, will I get all of the "Sent" history or is this in a file that needs to be copied. FYI, the emails I sent from the Windows 11 PC has synchronized to the Windows 10 PC. 4. What are the settings for the Junk mail. The settings on the Windows 10 PC and the Windows 11 PC are the same. 5. Last but not least, how do I get the preview pane on the bottom. :-)

Thanks, and HELP!

Mike Jacks

Hi,

I'm trying to move Thunderbird from my Windows 10 laptop to one where I just installed Linux (Zorin Pro 17.3). I followed the instructions here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

I installed Thunderbird 140.4.0 esr, which is the latest version. Both laptops now have that version installed.

But when I open TB on the Linux computer, and close the Account Setup window, and go to the Troubleshooting screen, next to "Profile Directory" it says "Open Directory", but when I click on that, nothing happens. So how can I paste my TB profile? Do I have to start a new profile first, and then copy over that?

I installed TB from the "Software" area, which I believe is a Flatpak. I'm very new to Linux, so just fumbling around here. There were 3 options of Thunderbird. I installed the one that had the most information and seemed most up to date. That was confusing.

I would LOVE some help on this.

Thanks!

I am about to change desktop computers - upgrading to Windows 11. How or can I transfer all my Thunderbird data, saved emails, address books,layout, etc, to my new computer? Can I export everything to an external hard drive and then import to the new PC? Many thanks for any advice. heers, Ron

Hi all, I have a new Computer and I'd like to transfer my Thunderbird installation with the complete settings (folders, mails, archives, address-book, ...). Also the calender would be of interest, because I have some settings which I want to keep. Is there any way to do this? I have access to my old computer, so I could export everything there and import that on the new one, but I did not find something to do that. Can you help me? Regards, Gerhard

I have a huge and vital archive of past emails in Thunderbird on my old Windows 10 PC. The hard drive containing the Thunderbird profile has now failed and I can't access its contents. I have a new Windows 11 PC and have installed Thunderbird on it. I thought I had backed up my Thunderbird profile on an external drive, so have copied this backup onto the new PC, and have tried to use Thunderbird's Import function, but I get an error message each time, saying 'import failed unexpectedly'. The backup I'm using was saved using a data backup program called Bvckup2 and consists of folders called '$Archive', 'Cache2', 'Safebrowsing' and 'StartupCache'. Am I doing something wrong? Is it possible I've been backing up the wrong thing? Am I going to have to send the failed hard drive to a data recovery specialist and hope that they can access it?

I've been using Thunderbird for years under windows 7 and keep my data on a separate drive. Is it possible to migrate or move the whole program and data base into Linux at a later date? I haven't used Linux yet, but need to know if it's possible to successfully make the move before I jump. Thank you.

I didn't find anything quite like this in the forums.

I just installed Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS to an old computer and I want to export my profiles and contacts from my other Windows computer Thunderbird, over to the new Linux version of Thunderbird. I suppose the other option is to re-import from Gmail contacts. Please advise. As others migrate from Windows to Linux this could be a common question.

I am on Thunderbird Flatpack version 115.5.1 and I want to transfer to Thunderbird for Android, how do I do that, please? I am running on Chromebook using the Linux partition. I have exported the profile to a zip file, but Thunderbird for Android won't read it. The zip file is 2.5GB so maybe it is too big. But I am not adept at Linux and I can't find my way to the profile files for a manual copy. When I go into Troubleshooting Information the Profile Directory - Open Directory button does nothing. Alonside it it says "(Lolcal drive)". Maybe I should upograde Thunderbird first, but how do I do that, please?

Hallo, ich habe meine E-Mail-Konten in Thunderbird umgestellt von POP zu IMAP. Meine Filter-Einstellungen waren bisher gültig für "Lokale Ordner" (die Filter musste ich manuell starten) Wie kann ich die Filter-Einstellungen auf den Posteingang meiner IMAP-Konten kopieren/migrieren? Danke, und Grüße aus Berlin